ROME: Lazio moved level on points with Serie A leaders Inter Milan after beating Monza 3-1 on Sunday, as rivals Roma, Juventus and AC Milan all dropped points.
Ten-man Roma could not keep pace as Donyell Malen's red card overshadowed a 0-0 stalemate in Como.
They now sit two points behind the leaders in third.
AC Milan were held 1-1 at Sassuolo, leaving them four points adrift of the leaders in fifth.
Cagliari continued their impressive start to the season by holding Juventus 1-1 to remain fourth, two points above the Turin giants in sixth.
Lazio continued their fine run under Gennaro Gattuso, who has bounced back after failing to lead Italy to the 2026 World Cup.
Still unbeaten, Lazio recorded their fifth win in six matches to pull level on 16 points with Inter, who defeated Parma 3-0 at the San Siro on Saturday.
"We can't look at the standings, otherwise we will get dizzy. We have to take it day by day," said Gattuso.
Their strong form comes despite ongoing fan protests against owner Claudio Lotito, which have left Lazio's home matches sparsely attended.
Nuno Tavares gave Lazio a third-minute lead with a spectacular long-range strike, and Gustav Isaksen doubled it midway through the first half.
Monza's Lorenzo Lucchesi was sent off in the 35th minute for hauling down Tijjani Noslin as he broke through on goal.
Despite being down to 10 men, the 16th-placed visitors put Lazio under pressure after the break, pulling a goal back and coming close to an equaliser before Lazio scored a third late on to seal the win.
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